


I Won't Give Up On Us

by chaostheoryy



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: Beyond - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Can be viewed as romantic or familial relationship, Comfort, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Just wanted some protective Kirk taking care of Chekov, M/M, On the Run, SPOILERS FOR STAR TREK BEYOND, Survival, Totally up to interpretation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 08:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7610698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaostheoryy/pseuds/chaostheoryy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the Enterprise destroyed and his crew scattered across the Altamid landscape, Kirk finds himself struggling to keep his hopes up. Fortunately for him, he's still got Chekov by his side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Won't Give Up On Us

**Author's Note:**

> Re-watching the scenes with Kirk and Chekov in "Beyond", I couldn't keep myself from wanting to write a short fic about them. This can read as a familial relationship or as a blossoming romance. Either way you read it, enjoy!

Standing on the hillside looking over the burning, crumbling remains of the Enterprise, Kirk felt nauseous. The Enterprise wasn't just a star ship. It was home. It was the one place in the entire galaxy he felt he truly belonged. On board that masterpiece of man's technology, Kirk felt like he could take any being on and come out on top. Sitting in his chair amidst his crew mates, he believed in the best of everyone, found hope when others had none.  
  
But now, without a ship or the means to call for help, hope was hard to come by. Sure he had an idea of how to find the remainder of his crew. But when he did, what was he going to do? Take down a whole fleet of enemy soldiers with his phaser? Not likely. The whole situation was looking grim, but Kirk couldn't give up. His crew, his family, was depending on him.  
  
With Chekov and Kalara following closely behind him, Kirk led them into the wreckage of the Enterprise's disk. It was even more disheartening standing inside the bridge than it had been overlooking the ship's entirety. All the screens were destroyed, nearly every panel uprooted. It was a scene straight from his nightmare. As he stood in the doorway staring at his broken chair, Kirk could feel Chekov's eyes on him. He could only imagine what he looked like to him in that moment. If he looked at all the way he felt, he gave off the appearance of a man who had just watched his home burn to the ground.  
  
Just as he had expected, Kalara turned on them, threatening to kill him in order to return the weapon to Krall. To her dismay, Kirk was one step ahead of her. Suspicious of her intentions, he'd hidden it with one of his crew members, trusting her with the task of keeping it out of Krall's hands no matter what threats he made. As much as he hated putting the burden on her shoulders, he knew that it was safest out of his own hands. Kalara's discovery of his trick led to a very heated chase among the ruin of the Enterprise's hallways that inevitably ended with him and Chekov sliding down the top of the disk as the entire structure began flipping itself over.  
  
Chekov reached the ground first, tumbling over the dirt like a rag doll. The moment Kirk landed beside him, he could see the terror in his eyes as he gaped up at the falling skeleton of the Enterprise.  
  
"Chekov, run!" Kirk shouted, grabbing him by the arm and forcing him to his feet as the fled.  
  
The disk hit the ground only a second after they were outside of its trajectory, the impact triggering a massive explosion that sent both of the Starfleet officers soaring through the air. Fortunate enough to have landed among foliage, Kirk stumbled to his feet without much resistance from his tired body. Chekov, on the other hand, struggled to find his footing. He was, without a doubt, exhausted, both physically and mentally. He had just risked his life to help Kirk try and save the crew after nearly being killed evacuating from the ship only a few hours before.  
  
Kirk limped his way over to Chekov and reached down to grab his arms, pulling him to his feet.  
  
"Don't worry, I've got you," he said as he draped Chekov's arm over his shoulders to help prop him up.  
  
Serving as Chekov's temporary crutch, Kirk navigated them through the forest until he came across a small cave far enough from the wreckage to keep them safe from any search party Krall might send out. With a low grunt, he set Chekov down on the ground and propped him up against the stone wall.  
  
"You alright?" Kirk asked as he knelt down in front of the young Ensign.  
  
Chekov blinked slowly, wincing when he reached up to touch a particularly large cut on his forehead. "I believe so."  
  
"Good." Kirk gently pat Chekov's shoulder before standing up again. "I'm going to find some branches and twigs. I have a feeling it'll be a long night if we don't get a fire going soon."  
  
"I will go with you," Chekov mumbled, letting out a whimper as he made a move to climb to his feet. But Kirk wasn't about to let him go out and risk getting injured any further.  
  
"Oh no you don't." Kirk gently pushed Chekov back against the wall and crouched down in front of him. "You stay here."  
  
Chekov's brow furrowed with worry, his droopy blue eyes scanning Kirk's face in an attempt to comprehend the situation. "But Captain, I-"  
  
Kirk smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine on my own." He put his hand on Chekov's knee in a gesture of reassurance. "Just stay here and try to relax. I'll be back in no time."  
  
With a small smile, Kirk exited their makeshift hideout in search of materials he could use as firewood. The evening was colder than he had expected and, if he didn't get a fire started soon, he wasn't sure how long he and Chekov could last out here. How pathetic would it be to die of hypothermia while being chased by malicious beings on an alien planet?  
  
By the time he returned to the cave, Chekov was trembling in the cold. Kirk could hear his teeth clanking together rapidly and could just make out the cloud of Chekov's warm breath breaking through the chilly air.  
  
"Hang in there, Chekov," Kirk said as he began throwing the twigs he'd gathered into a pile in front of him.  
  
Once he had enough material in the pile, he dug into his jacket and pulled out the emergency firestarter he had scavenged from his escape pod. Holding it at the base of the pile, he clicked the button. Instantly, the twigs caught fire, bursting into a ball of flames. Kirk beamed with pride, gazing at his creation for a moment before turning his attention to Chekov.  
  
"Alright, let's get you closer to the fire," he murmured as he hooked his arms under Chekov's biceps and carefully dragged him over to the fireside.  
  
Chekov sighed in relief, his shivering gradually lessening with every second he was exposed to the fire's warmth. Kirk smiled softly and plopped down next to him, reaching out and placing his hand on Chekov's knee. He wasn't sure if the contact was more for Chekov's reassurance or for his own at that point. "There," he said as he gazed into the flames, "Not so bad now is it?"  
  
Chekov hummed. "Not so bad at all."  
  
A blanket of silence fell over them for a moment as they sat enjoying the fire's warm embrace. Surprisingly, it was Chekov who spoke first.  
  
"Captain, I want to thank you," he murmured softly.  
  
Kirk furrowed his brow and looked at him in confusion. "For what?"  
  
"For not giving up. On the ship and the crew." Chekov's lips pulled into an alarmingly gentle smile. "It is not easy, I know this. But you never stop believing in us."  
  
Kirk stared at Chekov in disbelief. He was thanking him for doing the one thing Kirk found easiest to do - believing in his crew. How could he possibly give up on them? They were his family, the anchor that kept him from getting lost amongst the stars. Without Chekov, without Spock, without Bones, without any of his crew, he would be helpless. Didn't they know that?  
  
"And I want to thank you," Chekov continued, looking away slightly as some color seeped into his cheeks, "For taking care of me. Not just today. But ever since we started the mission. Whenever I feel sad, you are there to make me smile again. I miss my family a lot but when you talk to me, tell me your stories, you make me feel like I am home."  
  
"You are home," Kirk replied without hesitation, watching as Chekov's eyes widened at the statement. "Aboard the Enterprise, you're not just a navigator or a crew member. You're part of a family. My family. And I'm not just going to give up on my family."  
  
Kirk had never seen someone so overwhelmed by words in his life. Chekov was stunned, completely motionless as he gazed at his captain. He looked awestruck, as if Kirk had said something he had never expected to hear his entire life. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd say Chekov looked like he was about to cry.  
  
"You are amazing, Captain," Chekov murmured in astonishment and admiration, "I would be very happy to call you my family."  
  
Chekov sniffled and wiped his watery eyes with the back of his hand. Kirk knew this whole situation was putting all kinds of pressures on him. Chekov was probably fried physically and emotionally. Of course the littlest things could set him off.  
  
"Oh God, please don't cry," Kirk begged, half worried, half amused, "'Cause if you start crying, I'll start crying and we'll both be a huge mess."  
  
Chekov laughed and smiled over at Kirk, that boyish grin making Kirk feel as if there was nothing he wanted more than to see Chekov smile. Kirk gave the Ensign a grin of his own and reached out toward him.  
  
"Come here," he said as he pulled Chekov against his side and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.  
  
Chekov leaned heavily against him and laid his curly head upon Kirk's shoulder with a soft sigh. Kirk looked down at Chekov and smiled, taking note of just how incredible those hazel eyes looked in the fire light. Even as Chekov's lashes draped down onto his cheeks when he closed his eyes, Kirk watched over him and swore to himself that there was no being in the entire universe he would be willing trade his beloved navigator up for.


End file.
